Take Control of Your Power Bill.
With Capital Electric’s Coincident Peak rate, you pay roughly half price for electricity (4.0¢/kWh) all month long—as long as you avoid running heavy appliances at the exact same time during brief peak alerts.
Your Monthly Electricity Usage
Your Home Appliances & Peak Habits
Check what you own, edit the kW draw if needed, and choose if you’ll pause it during peak alerts.
How Does Capital Electric Stack Up Against MDU & State Averages?
Compare your current 1,500 kWh/mo profile against MDU’s tiered residential structure and regional state averages.
Because MDU adds a daily Basic Service Charge, fuel/transmission riders, and an interim rate surcharge onto every kWh, managing your peak on Capital Electric’s 4.0¢/kWh Coincident Peak rate makes CEC highly competitive—especially as monthly usage climbs above 750 kWh.
| Rate Component | CEC Standard (Flat) | CEC Coincident Peak (Your Plan) | MDU (ND Residential Rate 10) | North Dakota State Avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly Base / Fixed Charge | $24.00/mo | $24.00/mo | $19.22/mo ($0.501/day + adj) | Included in ¢/kWh avg |
| Energy Rate Structure | 8.161¢ / kWh (Flat) | 3.963¢ / kWh (All Hours) | Tiered: First 750 kWh vs Over 750 kWh | 13.41¢ / kWh (EIA Bundled) |
| Energy Charge (at 1,500 kWh) | $122.42 | $59.45 | $158.15 | $201.15 |
| On-Peak / Demand Charge | $22.80 | $43.23 | $0.00 (Bundled in kWh tiers) | $0.00 (Bundled in avg) |
| Grid Capacity Charge (12-Mo Peak) | $22.80 | $25.65 | $0.00 (Bundled in kWh tiers) | $0.00 (Bundled in avg) |
| Estimated Total Monthly Bill | $192.02 | $152.33 | $177.37 | $201.15 |
| All-In Effective Rate (¢ / kWh) | 12.80¢ / kWh | 10.16¢ / kWh | 11.82¢ / kWh | 13.41¢ / kWh |
Why Does Capital Electric Offer This Rate?
The Basin Electric Connection
Capital Electric is a member-owned distribution cooperative. It doesn’t generate its own power—it buys wholesale electricity from Basin Electric Power Cooperative (and WAPA) via Central Power Electric Cooperative.
Basin Electric bills Capital Electric using this exact same structure: cheap wholesale energy (kWh), plus a steep demand charge based on Capital Electric’s consumption during Basin’s single highest 30-minute system peak each month.
Passing the Wholesale Discount to You
On the standard residential rate, Capital Electric bundles that wholesale peak risk into a higher flat kWh price (8.16¢/kWh) so you don’t have to think about when you run appliances.
On Coincident Peak (Schedule 55), CEC unbundles the rate to mirror Basin Electric’s wholesale bill: you get energy near wholesale cost (3.96¢/kWh), and whenever you step off the throttle during a monthly peak alert, you keep the savings.
Peak Alerts vs. Home Battery Backup
Phase 1 (Free): Use smart plugs, EV charge schedules, or CEC peak alerts to pause dryers, ovens, and chargers during the 4–8 PM summer or morning/evening winter windows.
Phase 2 (Automated): A grid-tied hybrid inverter and LiFePO4 battery automatically discharges whenever your home load spikes—wiping out both the monthly $27.02/kW peak charge and the 12-month $2.70/kW grid capacity ratchet while providing blackout backup.
Reference Rate Schedule (Effective Jan 1, 2026)
| Billing Component | Standard Rate (Sched 30) | Coincident Peak (Sched 55) | How It Is Measured |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly Base Charge | $24.00 / mo | $24.00 / mo | Fixed monthly service charge |
| Energy Usage Charge | $0.08161 / kWh | $0.03963 / kWh | All kWh used during the billing month |
| On-Peak Demand Charge | $9.50 / kW | $27.02 / kW | 30-min average during wholesale system peak |
| Grid Capacity Charge | $2.40 / kW | $2.70 / kW | Highest 15-min peak over rolling 12 months |